Contrafactum and Alternatim Praxis in Two Eighteenth Century Requiem Settings by Manuel De Sumaya

The musical archives of the Oaxaca Cathedral contain the surviving compositions of its maestros de capilla (chapel masters) since its founding in the sixteenth century. The Cathedral’s musical establishment was noteworthy for its efforts to maintain a high standard of performance and composition. These efforts are documented in archival accounts that illustrate the process used for recruiting and hiring prestigious composers and musicians. Manuel de Sumaya (1680-1755) had achieved notoriety as the Chapelmaster of Mexico City, the highest musical authority in New Spain, before accepting the post in Oaxaca. His manuscripts represent a large portion of the catalogued works found in the archives. The Misa de Difuntos and Sequentia de Difuntos a 4 are two Requiem Settings recently discovered among a group of previously uncatalogued works that have were attributed to Sumaya. The first of the two works contains a movement with extended passages of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. Both of the manuscripts are noteworthy for their settings of the Sequence text Dies Irae. This dissertation includes a detailed study of both of these works, comparing them with Sumaya’s other liturgical compositions in order to provide further evidence to support this attribution to him. It explores Sumaya’s emulation of European composers demonstrated in his contractum of Pergolesi Stabat Mater in the Misa de Difuntos. An analysis of the Sumaya’s treatement of the Sequence text will demonstrate the common practice of alternatim praxis. Critical editions of these two works have been created with the intention of providing two previously unkown works of merit. In this way I hope to make an important contribution to this important body of music composed in eighteenth century Mexico.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Fassnacht, Therese I.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alwes, Chester L.
• Stone, Sylvia
• Tipei, Sever
• Ward, Thomas R.

• contrafactum
• alternatim praxis
• requiem
• Manuel de Sumaya
• Oaxaca Cathedral

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 Therese I. Fassnacht

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/18526

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/18526